Arsenal’s squad currently has a bit of dead wood lying around. These players never were and never will be good enough for where the Gunners want to be. One of these players is French full-back Mathieu Debuchy.

According to TalkSPORT and L’Equipe, Arsenal may well be about to offload the full-back to French club Marseille. The Ligue One club are reportedly interested in signing the 32-year-old on a free transfer, although the defender still has two years left on his contract.

Never good enough for Arsenal

Mathieu Debuchy was highly rated a Lille. However, his arrival to the Premier League with Newcastle came relatively late in his career. The full-back enjoyed a few decent seasons in the north east, but he was the sort of cut-price signing that Arsenal have specialised in recent years.

Signed from a smaller club, having produced some decent form, he is a good player, but not outstanding. Unfortunately, that could sum-up a number of Arsenal’s fringe players at the moment.

Unlikely to get back into the team

Debuchy has endured an injury-hit three seasons at Arsenal. The Frenchman has struggled to command a regular first-team position at the north London club.

In fact, Debuchy has made just 13 top-flight appearances for the Arsene Wenger’s side. It looks unlikely that he will ever make number 14. Hector Bellerin is the team’s logical first choice right-back.

With Wenger switching to three at the back, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also played at right wing-back last season. Bellerin looks set to continue in the role, as Oxlade-Chamberlain started the Premier League opener at left wing-back.

It is difficult to see Debuchy getting in the team ahead of either Bellerin or Oxlade-Chamberlain. It also seems unlikely that Debuchy will stay in north London.

Too much deadwood at Arsenal

I am sure Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has attempted to shift some of the clubs deadwood. Unfortunately, they are too expensive for the buying clubs. There is the other alternative that the players are simply not attracting any interest from other clubs.

Debuchy is in that group of players along with the likes of Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson and Jack Wilshere. These players have been given a chance to prove themselves and they have either struggle for fitness or were just not good enough.

Arsenal allowing Debuchy to leave for nothing now makes a lot of sense. He is unlikely to contribute anything to the team’s cause in the near future. It just means Arsenal will no longer be paying his wages for the next two years of his contract.

Should Arsenal allow Mathieu Debuchy to join Marseille on a free transfer?